Brick



Dec. 6, 1927.

C. ZIEGLER BRICK MOLDING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Jan' '7. 1926 WW INVEN TOR. B

r ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

CRAWFORD zme mm, or QOOSADA, ALABAMA, ass eivoa, BY

"TO CHARLES L.- NORTON, OF CAM-BRIDGE; MASSACHUSETTS.

BRICK-.MQLDING .PROCESS AND APPARATUS Appli at file Janu ry Thisinvention, relates to a process and apparatus for molding mater al suchasceram- 10s, by dropping the same into a mold with sutficicntforce'tocause the-material to as' sume the exactshape of the inside of the mold.It relates more particularly to the molding of brick by dropping themassof brick-forming material into the brickmold.

Heretofore it has been common in molding brick in this manner to firstprovide the batch of material in a non-plastic or sandy condition anddrop the same through a short distance into the mold, the inertia of thesame being sufficient to cause the particles to spread enough to fillthe corners of the mold. It is sometimes desirable to mold brick forcertain purposes from materials that are plastic or are in a somewhatsticky form, with a correspondingly less ease of readiness of flow. Insuch instances, it is necessary to drop the material through aconsiderably greater distance in order for the same to attain suflicientvelocity to cause the less plastic mass to assume the shape of theinside of the mold when it falls thereinto. It has been founddesirableto have the falling batch in such shape that the lower side or portionthereof is somewhat pointed or sharpened, so that the same Will spreaduniformly and satisfactorily in the mold when it strikes the same. WVhendropping batches through long distances, there is a decided tendency forthe same to turn in its fall so that the portion that is of the desiredshape does not first strike the bottom of the mold.

By the present invention, the tendency for the batch of material to turnin. its fall is obviated, and material can be dropped through anydesired distance without danger of the same turning and, therefore,

somewhat dry material or material having little plasticity can besatisfactorily molded by this method.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which a device is illustrated forpracticing the invention. In the drawings, Fig. 1 indicates an edge Viewof the device in elevation, and Fig. 2 a side-view of the same. y

' Reference character 1 indicates a mold for brick or the like, theinside of which is made -7, 1926. Serial No. 79,721.

of tl1e.sh ape which it is desired that the article to be molded shouldassume. A hopper or container is. mounted directly above the moldl, andcomprises two sides hinged at 2. The hinged sides have lower portions 3that contact with each other along their bottom edges 4, and endportions 5 that contact along the line 6, so as to form a receptaclewhen the side portions 3 are in the position indicated in Fig. 1. Eachone of the hinged portions also comprises rigid upper members 6, alongWhose upper edges 7 is hinged a toggle 8, which toggle can bend in onedirection only to the position shown in Fig. 1, while it can collapse inthe other directioii. Guides 10 which may be made of wire, for example,are anchored at fixed points 11 at their upper end, and pass through thehop-- per between the lower edges at of the sides 3, and have theirlower ends anchored by means of the clamps or holders 12, that are fixedin position so as to keep the wires taut.

The operation is as follows: A sufficient amount of the material that isto be molded is placed in the. hopper to form one of the articles, suchas a brick, for example, and the portions of the wires or guides 10inside the hopper become embedded in this batch of material, so thatwhen the sides 3' are opened. by pulling upward on the-tog gle 8 intothe dotted line position, as shown in Fig. 1, the batch of materialdrops downwardly and slides along the guides 10, so that it is preventedfrom turning While it is falling, and the pointed edge thereof strikesthe bottom of the mold in the desired manner, so that the materialspreads laterally and closely fills all corners and crevices of theinside of the mold to make the batch exactly conform to the shape of themold. I I

It is obvious that instead of having wires mounted as guides, in themanner above de scribed, so that the wires pass through the mass of thematerial, vertical guides such as rails or the like may be mounted inline with the edge of the hopper, and have smooth straight fins orflanges which. merely project or cut into the edge of the batch ofmaterial, thus preventing it fromturning. In the form illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2, the holders 12 will, of course, cut through the MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

batch of material from the holes made by the wires 10 to thecorresponding edges of the hatch.

I claim:

.1. The PIOCBG o1 molding material which uomprisos sogvo ting 21 batchof plastic; nmtel-in dropping Quid hutch UUQOHfiRGd into :1 mold, andgnlding hatch to prevent it from turning While it :lfadlihg.

The process of molding brick which oolupl'is segregating batch of brickforming nmtornd in a plasticmuss, dropping said hatch unuonfinvd into a:mold with a relaliVUl) smzdl portion thereof oxl'ondilig dow|1- 15':wnrdlyyuml guiding said hutoh to prevent it from turning;- whilo i1 isfalling.

S. In amolding device, :1- mold, a hopper thoroahovo, and an open guidefl'Oll'LSElid material. to be molded are segt'egatedyand a smooth,Rtraightghide from said receptacle to said mold.

(i. 111 n molding (loving a lino ld, a hopl mr (EliAWFORI) 211416111611

